Country diary: herding wild ponies from hill to homestead

Brendon Common, Exmoor The ponies have been part of Exmoor’s bleak uplands for hundreds, probably thousands, of yearsWhen the first of the herd appeared on the horizon over Withycombe Ridge, the horse I was riding began to tremble. Excitement pulsed up the reins and I could feel his heartbeat thumping through the saddle. He stared transfixed, head high, pink nostrils flared, as the feral ponies flickered into view, their dark brown coats almost plum-coloured next to the dun moorland. They